The Climate Change, Health Equity, and the Built Environment: Public health practice guide aims to equip Ontario’s public health professionals with concise information and actionable tools to advance knowledge, communication, and action at the intersection of climate change, health equity, and the built environment. Specifically, the guide:

• Raises awareness of the health equity risks posed by climate change for Ontarians; 
• Highlights how built environments can contribute to or address health inequities, as well as impact key factors related to climate risk or resilience; 
• Supports public health units in advocating for and implementing public health policies that enhance climate resilience, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and promote health equity; and,
• Emphasizes the immediate and significant health co-benefits of climate action and healthier built environments.

This practice guide is designed to supports public health professionals facilitate meaningful engagement and strengthen existing collaborations with a diverse range of external partners, including municipal governments, conservation authorities, Indigenous communities, academic institutions, and grassroots organizations. It also aims to foster knowledge-sharing within public health units and promote the integration of climate change, health equity, and built environment considerations across all facets of public health operations.

This resource was authored by SHIFT Collaborative for the Ontario Resource Centre for Climate Adaptation (ORCCA)—a pilot initiative led by ICLEI Canada and supported by the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, alongside financial support from the Government of Canada through the federal Department of Environment and Climate Change Canada.